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Working on the assumption that local bikepacking could be feasible once again later this summer, I’m feeling a mounting need to address a lack of cooker.
Tight-budget version. Low-level, 3 season
WWSTWD?
Option 1: stick with my non-stick Trangia Mini and buy a new burner? I have used this since 1995ish, so only 25 years then (!) and it’s only failed once with a split burner screw-top cap. Not a disaster, it just means a new cap and seal. Possibly buy another new burner as the last one I bought was a knockoff (and felt it)
Things I’ve like about the Trangia Mini:
-Compact
-330g
-Doesn't rattle
-Can fry stuff, and the lid is also the frying pan.
-And the pot/pan handle is also the spring that stops it rattling when packed down.
-Economical
-Time consuming (yes I enjoy cooking and relaxing when camping)
Things me(t)h:
- Weight 330g PLUS .9l kettle (190g) PLUS fuel say 350 gms half a litre (could take less but only have the one fuel-bottle which isn’t light itself) so getting on for a kilo
- Bulk - while the set itself is compact enough, then there’s the fuel bottle, kettle and a mug. It seems possibly to be overkill, especially as I plan to start using healthy home-made dehydrated meals rather than the many sausage bacon and eggs that have been fried on the Trangia!
- Danger. The cook-stand/windshield in the Mini is a bit rubbish really. It retains a lot of heat after cooking. It does a poor job of shielding wind, and a pot can easily slide off it so ideally has to be on very flat surface. Add to that the flarey nature of cooking with spirits and it is a faff to be honest.
So, it could be the end of my long-time companion - the Mini Trangia. Or could things improve with a better windshield? Like the triangle one? Never tried it...
Option 2 - ‘Mix and match upgrade‘, ie diff windshield
Option 3 - Start over. Just a water-boil solution with lightweight mug and enjoy simple home-made rehydrated meals. (I’m quitting fried stuff anyway). Quite fancy a neat solution. Today had a look online at this new Vango ultralight thing. Have seen it for £36 so getting top-end of my £40 budget:
https://www.vango.co.uk/gb/camping-equipment/568-ultralight-heat-exchanger-cook-kit.html
Anyway...show is your workings please!
Speedster stove (£5) homemade windshield (99p) and titanium mug (£30 Alpkit).
https://speedsterstoves.co.uk/alcohol/meths-burners.html
Job jobbed. Light. Easy.
Gets used more than my two gas stoves and 6g titanium hex stove.
Trangia for me every time 🙂
It is silent, can cook full meals on it easily and has a kettle.
I use a Trangia mini but with one of these: https://alpkit.com/collections/camping-stoves/products/concertina
Using a windshield solved any problems I had with the mini.
I do have little doubt there are way faster systems available though!
Summer - Bearbones 8g meths stove and a 550ml Ti mug.
Other seasons - Optimus Crux gas stove and 750ml Ti pot.
In both cases, fuel, lighter and windshield are all in the Ti mug/pot. I carry additional fuel for multi day trips.
I find Trangia burners easier, if heavier, than beer can ones due to boring things like lids and simmer rings etc but don't discount the super lightness.
I normally use normal full trangia system for carrying or small gas stove with cylinder support and MSR windshield. Yes it's an expensive piece of tinfoil that you can make yourself if you can find extra thick tinfoil but it works and it came with my MSR. Good addition to extra windproof a mini trangia or lightweight burner and pot support stove.
Long trips or more than 2 people then take the MSR as it can boil pasta for 4 people, in the rain, no bother and petrol is super cheap fuel.
For short overnight trips a Alpkit Kraku titanium stove, gas cylinder, lighter etc all fits in a 900ml titanium pot that fits nicely in a Stem cell bag.
For more than a couple of nights I think the fuel efficiency of a Jet Boil type stove makes it more useful than carrying extra fuel containers despite the increase in weight and bulk. I use an MSR reactor that’s incredibly fast.
I only boil water though.
In the UK msr pocket rocket. Small, light, gas can lasts me ages. Easily pick them up too. A very cheap ti folding windshield that I'm not a fan of and a ti mug from alpkit which has been amazing. Gas bottle fits in the ti mug with some padding to stop it rattling.
Generally I'll take my home made beer can stove with home made windshield and Alpkit 650ml Ti mug for most of the year in the UK. Will occasionally take a small Ti bowl if I want to make a bit more than "boil in the bag". Stove and all the accoutrements (apart from fuel) will pack into the mug
Occasionally I'll take a mini gas stove, usually if it's going to be colder when meths isn't too good. The smallest canisters fit into the same mug and the stove (Vango clone of the Pocket Rocket) will also fit in there.
Proper winter conditions, i.e. Arctic, an MSR XGK that I bought second hand in the mid 1980s. I refurbed it last year and it still works. The complete antithesis of the alcohol stove - loud, actually very loud, and bulky. I've used it at 4000m on Mt Kenya to deep fry chips! It packs some serious heat.
Generally when you are camping there's no rush, if one stove takes six minutes rather than five to boil your water, so what? If you need to simmer then neither the meths stove nor the MSR are ideal, gas is the clear winner there.
The main problem with a lot of stove systems isn't weight, it's bulk. You don't have a lot of space when bikepacking, probably less than 25L for most people so a stove that takes up a couple of litres space and is awkwardly shaped isn't ideal. If you've got a full frame bag on a hardtail then a slim version of the Trangia can sit vertically in there with food/fuel packed around it. But if you've a full sus and/or a small frame then that might not be an option. I've a "short" mug that's the same diameter as the Alpkit that fits in the frame bag of my FS but that's because the home made alcohol stove is best with mugs/pans around that size.
For me its a jetboil. Its economical with gas so for multiday you need to carry less. its very quick and reliable to get boiling water and you can convert it to a cafetiere for an additional 8g
As the pot clips to the burner you do not need to sit and hold it steady when cooking and as its insulated you can boil up your pasta than take it off the heat to let it cook. I think it uses less than half the gas of a pocket rocket. It packs away incredibly neatly all into the pot rattle free.
Its a bit heavy but for us its shared between two.
A decent cup of coffee in the morning with no hassle is worth it for me
Disadvantages - its heavier than some ( but not that heavy) and it does not really do a low heat well.
I have used many different stoves over the years and IMO its the best compromise
Generally when you are camping there’s no rush, if one stove takes six minutes rather than five to boil your water,
If its 15 mins rather than 2? This shows how we are all different - speed is critical to me. OK we are cooking for two but a flame that will hardly boil a litre of water is no good to me. I want my morning coffee and my dinner NOW! with no faff
For me its a jetboil
I think it all depends on what you want to cook. If its just water/liquid then the jetboil is a really good option.
speed is critical to me.
Yes we are all different!
v e r y s l o w is the normal end of desirable for most of my trips. Finding and grading sticks and twigs for my 1.5l Ghillie Kettle is a great pleasure when car-camping or local walking/daytrips, for instance. No good for bike-packing tho as 1. it can’t cook under cover and 2 is massively bulky/heavy.
Bike-packing, as I say - ideally desire compact and light - but still no rush as a general requirement. Nothing is ‘critical’ in my case, just desirable vs less-desirable. Practical vs less-practical. The only critical point is the under £40 budget (including a posh cookmug if required) and I’ve got to be firm on that as it’s a luxury item these days.
A decent cup of coffee in the morning with no hassle is worth it for me
I do like a decent coffee or two in the AM. Used to pack an espresso coffee-pot in the panniers sometimes. Which reminds me - I recently saw a DIY USB-powered coffee pot somewhere on the Webs. Why hasn’t that become a thing yet?
The fuel efficiency of a Jetboil is mainly in the "flux-ring" on the bottom of the pot. You can buy other pots with this same feature and you'll end up with a lighter, more compact solution overall.
@tjagain - very much agree! But setting a brew going whilst you do other stuff does mean the time doesn't seem as long - perception and all that. Cooking for two rather than one, or even with some people, for kids puts a different perspective on things.
No absolute right and wrong just what suits your situation or priorities. There's lots of options these days as well which makes things easy and hard all at once!
MSR Windpro, gas. Nice for proper cooking, pretty wide stand and windshield, so can use bigger pans. And good simmer control. Not too bulky, folds up to fit inside the pan anyway.
Also have MSR Dragonfly, liquid fuel. It is OK, but more faff with priming and lighting it, and rather noisy on full power. And a bit heavier/bulkier.
Very jealous of you bike camperists. I was looking forward to doing the Jenn ride to try my hand at it.
Malvern Rider.
If you love your ghillie kettle.
I'd recommend a honey stove.
You then have the option to use a trangia burner or go to twig route. And can be made to a small stove with less pieces for a quick brew.
Its also a tiny barbeque.
It comes apart to flat.
The fuel efficiency of a Jetboil is mainly in the “flux-ring” on the bottom of the pot. You can buy other pots with this same feature and you’ll end up with a lighter, more compact solution overall
Does it all pack away inside itself including gas with no rattle and include a cafetiere, a strainer and a lid and base?
Jetboil and MSR look good - but nearly/over double the budget?) Anyone have an idea whether that Vango Ultralight I mentioned in OP is the same kind of thing?
If you want cheap have a look on planet x
https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikepacking-and-bike-touring/cooking/stoves
If your not in a rush for one just keep an eye out for their fluctuating prices. They usually put one on the flash deals
I was thinking of making a tin can stove for nights away when my bike turns up. Got a bean can, but my mate grabbed the perfectly sized paint tin I was going to put the bean can into and used it to clean his paint brush.
Gather some twigs and sticks and keep feeding the fire. Plus, it's a fire. I like die and twigs are plentiful.
Is this a shit idea?
It is when the whole country is on fire alert due to lack of rain...
Speedster stove, stand and cheap ti mug of choice.
Is this a shit idea?
Overnight bike/camp-fire remains one of the best ideas I ever had. It still maybe ranks highest in my ‘polite-company’ standard-response chart for the question ‘what would you rather be doing now?’
YMMV. So might the weather 😉
(But do it anyway)
*edit - obviously not during a drought and/or if inexperienced.
I'm in Germany. It rained yesterday and if and when I'll be somewhere along the river.
Saying that my mate russel and I were responsible for the marshes burning one evening after our marshmallow roasting got out of hand.